P s 
3505 



93?^ leabes( from 
Vixq\nm*si journal 



yiJivQinia Corrp 



y 



1/ 




Class T'S ^SOS 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



LEAVES FROM 
VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



LEAVES FROM 
VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

BY 

VIRGINIA CORRY 




RICHARD G. BADGER 
THE GORHAM PRESS . . . BOSTON 



Copyright, 1913, by Virginia Corry 



All Rights Reserved 






The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A. 



©CLA351594 



TO 

AN *• IDEAL FRIEND" 

WHO KNOWING MY IMPERFECTIONS, 
THINKS NONE THE LESS OF ME. 



LEAVES FROM 
VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



LEAVES FROM 
VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

The beauties of leisure are mani- 
fold, therefore, I reverence those 
who labor in the ^'Fields of Life." 

Frequently there is righteousness 
in anger. We were given it to 
^'thunder" our displeasure in a just 
cause. 

To God alone can we yield humil- 
ity, for if we stoop, an ignorant and, 
therefore, a cruel brother may crush 
us. 

We cannot move mountains, but 
by faith we can climb over them and 
in doing so we may gather rare 
fruits, which will nourish us when 
we descend into the valley. 
7 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

For many years I prayed for be- 
lief. Faith, like a rainbow, now 
arches my sky. 



If in despair, dwell with Nature — 
Nature who smiles and stretches her 
arms to us with the fruits of all sea- 
sons. 



Cultivate the divinity that dwells 
within you, and give heed to it lest 
you become dazed by conflicting be- 
liefs and famish in the midst of 
plenty. 



A cracked earthen vessel may often 
contain a wholesome berry. 
8 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

In mounting the ladder of life, if a 
fellow creature is beneath you, give 
him a smile or a kind word; it will 
not take from your riches, it may 
add to them. 



Christ said men were made in his 
likeness — not those in the palaces 
merely, but also those in the huts. 



Take not too much pride in your 
earthly power O fools, who are 
blind! for those who stand upright 
to-day may be bent on the morrow. 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

There was one who lived purely 
and simply as a flower, taking but 
little thought from whence she came 
or whither bound, for her faith and 
trust were infinite. 



Cultivate your own fields, and 
when you can, give a hand to your 
neighbors. 



Alas ! The poor black man I The 
righteous must journey into your land 
to set up a cross for your redemp- 
tion. Are the dumb and blind for- 
gotten? Does not the same sun bring 
warmth to all? 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

Doubtless the faith of the black 
man is simple — to be read in the 
clear streams and in the ripening 
corn. True they slay one another, 
but the white man meditates while 
he tests the life-destroying batteries 
to be used with fatal effect upon his 
brother. 



The fate of many a noble woman, 
alas! is that she loves too well, and 
in doing so gives with both hands. 



Friend, develop the divinity 
within you, and with a handful of 
chestnuts you may defy the world! 



II 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

Bread without salt is tasteless, so 
life without love savorless. 



My friend is fair with the bright- 
ness of a flower, and, to me, her 
faults are but the dust of earth which 
is upon us all. 



If a man break faith with you, 
stand fast to your own lest his weak- 
ness impair your strength. 



The crippled in form we pity, 
while the deformed in spirit we con- 
demn. 



12 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

The granaries of an unlettered 
man are frequently rich with the 
fruits from Elysian fields. 

It is like working in the sunshine 
to work for a kind and appreciative 
employer. Since labor we must, let 
us give thanks when we are not 
obliged to do so in the shadow. 

Knowledge is power, if we are to 
believe our copy books. A hen lays 
an egg in the morning and enjoys a 
leisurely afternoon. Why not take a 
lesson from her, overworked business 
man? The hen will scratch up the 
earth during her spare time, but 
you can play golf and so score even 
at nightfall. You might also culti- 
vate a rose garden. 

13 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

Oae cannot expect good to spring 
from the sowing of evil. 



The laws of life are immutable. 
There are evil results from over-eat- 
ing, over-drinking and over-reach- 
ing. 



One with a sense of humor must 
smile when they observe a mem- 
ber of a christian church, to protect 
himself against a daily annoyance, 
affix the sign ''No Peddlers Wanted" 
upon his premises. 



A comprehensive man is generally 
a just one. 



14 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

Sometimes the best of friends are 
a pest. 



Many men load themselves with 
unnecessary burdens; laboring to 
store up junk in a collection of boxes 
which they call home and humbler 
creatures regard as a mansion. The 
useless lumber must weary the col- 
lectors at times, but they consider the 
effect it has upon their neighbors and 
the respect it creates. Therefore, 
they continue to live in a style un- 
worthy of themselves. 



15 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

In this life all is contrast; light 
and darkness, sunshine and shadow. 
The hardy, bold geranium, the 
flaunting dahlia and the golden sun- 
flower, whose seeds will always differ 
from those of the fair frail lily of the 
field, cousin to the lotus flower and 
the daffodil. There is no equality — 
I may be superior to some but I must 
recognize that I am inferior to many. 



In descending to another's level 
one passes out of one's own orbit and 
should not expect to be at ease, how- 
ever much one jmay love the one for 



whom one descends. 



i6 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

I am thrust into a strange country 
with a mosaic formed by my ances- 
tors. They are not dead, for they 
love, laugh and hate through me. 
Would that I were myself! — ^for — in 
being them I lack harmony. I may 
love to-day as dead Hugh loved, but 
as forgotten Anne I am capable of 
hating on the morrow. Mary was 
most careful of her pence, William 
could not keep a penny. May was 
pure, Phillip did not tread in her 
footsteps. Gertrude knew not com- 
passion, but Ralph did not lack sym- 
pathy. Therefore, my friend, pity 
the conflict which rages within me 
and turn not from me. 



Life is like a picnic, where some 
bring sugar and some lemons. 

17 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

Fate is a mighty sculptor whack- 
ing at our clay. Imperfections, 
humps and mars must be overcome, 
for we are to be appraised in a 
strange market. 

There are men like fat spiders, 
forever weaving nets to trap the un- 
wary, differing only from the spider 
in that they prey upon their own 
kind. 

An honest, industrious, upright 
human is a torch bearer to many. 

There was one who fought his 
battles in the arena of the world, for 
a worthy cause. Every day he went 
forth to combat, a hero without a 
laurel, a master without a slave. 
i8 



T 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

We can create a kingdom for our- 
selves although we may dwell in the 
smallest village in the world. 



A bird in a cage has the courage 
to sing. Why should I not rejoice? 



Belief is a rare gift that comes at 
no one's bidding and frequently will 
not flower in a forcing house. 



Have we forgotten that Christ was 
born in a manger and that a carpen^^ 
ter abode with him? 



19 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

A great general, and a great la- 
borer, one a leader of men and the 
other a helper of men. If we honor 
one we must respect the other. 



In the company of a fair tempting 
woman it is in the province of the 
wisest man to stumble, for beauty is 
a lure and woman a magnet. 



I have known darkness, therefore, 
I can appreciate light. 



To do well in the eyes of the world 
and offend Heaven is the act of a 
coward and a fool. 



20 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



Many a man who dwells in a pal- 
ace is poorer than the meanest serf 
who serves him. 



The immutable laws of one's 
neighbors may be respected, yet not 
accepted, for one is obliged to do 
one's own thinking occasionally. 



Without a stomach the world 
would lack in entertainment. 

One is never in doubt when gazing 
upon the moving picture, being quite 
sure vice will be vanquished, virtue 
rewarded and innocence protected. 
All for a nickle! It is simply amaz- 
ing! Oh, come with me — not to 
Fairyland — but to a moving picture- 
show, and you shall see justice. 

21 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

If we would have butter for our 
bread we should not grumble at 
milking the cow occasionally. 



It is best at times not to unfurl a 
banner of righteousness lest it be spat 
upon. 



The weed which we cast forth in 
scorn frequently carries with it many 
golden blossoms which no one will 
praise because they bear the stigma 
of a despised name. 



22 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

You must expect disappointment 
if you are looking for field flowers 
in the busy marts of the world. 
Come away, lest you dispute with a 
beggar over a crust in the gutter. 



Is knowledge kind or cruel? By 
its light I turn from that which 
I thought most true, and standing 
alone I totter like a young child over 
my broken toys. Lacking the cour- 
age of an Alexander, I must strive 
for the patience of the camel who, 
heavily burdened, crosses the dreary 
plains without complaint. 



23 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

The mercy of men is past under- 
standing. With sound of fife and 
drum they slay one another, then 
summon those who wear the Red 
Cross to bind the broken limbs of 
the injured. An army equipped to 
slaughter and another prepared to 
minister to the wounded. — The 
drums are silent, step softly lest you 
disturb the sufferers. Oh, pitiful 
man! holding in one hand a life-de- 
stroying weapon and in another the 
Cross of Christ. 



I am constantly weeding in the 
garden of my soul, where the poison- 
ous weeds of evil thought and action 
grow among precious buds which are 
struggling to blossom. 



24 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

At times the kinship of souls can 
be discerned at a glance and may 
prove stronger than any tie of blood. 



We all serve someone, and in serv- 
ing others we frequently serve God. 
Therefore, speak not contemptuously 
of the humblest servant. 



We see according to our own light, 
Many find their way difBcult be- 
cause their light is too dim to illu- 
minate their pathway. 



The recollections of the friends of 
my youth are many, although their 
dear faces are hidden by a mist of 
years. 

25 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

A pig fed on strawberries is none 
the less a pig. 



If you are quite ambitious you 
might enter the exclusive set, if only 
to study the noses of the setters, quite 
an interesting occupation I assure 
you, but if you are wise you will 
guard your own nose well, while 
there lest it assume an upward angle. 



Some women are like the month 
of January, full of tears, and fate 
generally is most accommodating in 
giving them a reason for weeping. 



26 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

There are two roles which will al- 
ways be played upon this round 
stage, that of the deceiver and the de- 
ceived. Father and daughter, lover 
and lass, husband and wife will be 
playing them until time rolls into 
eternity. 



Many a fair maiden is crucified 
upon a cross of gold. 



Despair oft times wears the cloak 
of patience and is masked by indif- 
ference. 



27 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

Bitter sweet must flourish in your 
garden and the Star of Bethlehem, 
then shall the daffodil reign over all 
in sweet contentment, although be- 
side it dwells the bluebell. 



Looking down from a great height 
those beneath one must seem less 
mighty. Even the honorable Miss 
So-and-so, train bearer to the queen, 
might assume the proportions of a 
bug. 



28 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

Not to be able to think as others do 
frequently compels one to live apart 
from one's kind, and where thought 
and communion of spirit are con- 
cerned one is like a stranger in a re- 
mote country, unable to speak the 
language although mingling with the 
crowd. 



Some may have gilt on their gin- 
gerbread, but there may be satisfac- 
tion in it unadorned. 



Those whom the Lord intends us 
to help will come into our lives, for 
such work is generally prepared for 
us, and there may be a sentry to note 
how well that work is performed. 



29 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

A humane man had plenty of this 
country's gold; therefore, he was 
mighty, but although he stood highly 
he took great care that his shadow 
fell on no man. 

There are those with perfect eyes 
and ears who can neither see nor 
hear, so far as the beauty of the earth 
is concerned. I often wonder if the 
fish observe the beauties which are 
to be found in their world. Doubt- 
less they are too busy looking for 
worms to fatten upon. 

Father! mother! remember that 
many a foul thing is bred in dark- 
ness! Therefore, let what sunlight 
you can play upon your children. 

Do not grieve if your feet are ill- 
clad and your coat affords you but 
scant protection. You must regard 

30 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

such a condition as your molting sea- 
son, feeling assured that if you are 
patient it will soon pass and Time 
will reward you with finer and more 
comfortable raiment. 

I stood within my open door and 
felt the chill of the gray dawn, but I 
looked to the east resolutely and 
presently the sun arose. Its warm 
rays were about me, resting upon the 
vines where the berries were ripen- 
ing, flooding the fruit trees in my 
garden, finding the figs to perfect 
them where they were hidden under 
the fig tree's broad leaves which 
were like emerald hued fans un- 
furled in the sunlight. These things 
I had planted in the rich brown 
earth, which has served mankind so 
faithfully, depending upon the rain 
and the sun to ripen them, and soon 
31 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

I shall have fruit for myself and 
some to spare for my neighbor. 
Therefore, I would say to one who 
lacks courage when the day and the 
way is dark, '^Do not despair! 
Keep your life clean and if your 
work is a worthy one attend to it 
faithfully and you may depend upon 
a rich harvest as you look for the sun 
to come over the mountains." 

Fate's methods are not unlike those 
of a gardener who prunes a tree that 
it may reach perfection. We are 
many times wounded by Fate but 
may not our suffering and poverty 
serve to enrich us in time? 

We should not envy the man who 
rests upon his laurels after having 
performed brave and good deeds on 
the Field of Endeavor. 

32 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

I have met many religious people, 
but I have seen few christians. 

Do not allow your soul to shrivel 
up so that God Himself cannot find 
it. 



There is much in this world which 
is beyond our comprehension, but 
doubtless night-owls would under- 
stand many things better could they 
see in the daylight, and our day is 
not unlike theirs in some respects. 

Frequently it is difficult to under- 
stand how he who is on the road to 
Somewhere and she who is on the 
road to Nowhere ever met and mar- 
ried. 

33 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

There is joy at times in the mere 
sense of living if we have eyes to see. 
About us there is beauty every- 
where ; in the day and in the night — 
the day for the hum of life, the night 
for silence and meditation. It is 
then we have time to look upward 
at the stars, God's open casements, 
gleaming brightly in the immeasur- 
able, ethereal fabric of Heaven, like 
the lamps of home which a traveler 
sees in the distance. 



If it were not for our sub-conscious 
self we would stumble into many a 
pitfall, for our mind will play the 
truant occasionally. 



34 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

There are days when I am like a 
veritable pirate upon the high seas, 
but I shall not record them, never 
having kept a log book. 



We are all traders more or less. 
The haughtiest lady in the land ex- 
changes her gold for adornment, yet 
she may look askance at the man from 
whom she buys her provisions. 



Nothing is so false as some of the 
so-called truths which have been 
thrust upon mankind for centuries. 

In this School of Life one would 
think that many were preparing to 
become serpents, birds of prey and 
ground hogs in a future existence. 

35 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

One may lose a leg but his remain- 
ing leg may develop unusual apti- 
tude and his hands perform won- 
ders of which he never dreamed; 
therefore, he is poor in some respects 
but enriched in others. So it is with 
our lives; we may lack gold but we 
may be given the intelligence to real- 
ize that we really need but little to 
be comfortable and a few hours a 
day devoted to work will supply us 
with the means to live simply. 



A mariner is not in danger of being 
lost if he carries a compass, and a 
landsman would do well to take a les- 
son from him, and with fair intelli- 
gence to guide him direct his course 
to a serene and glorious port. 



36 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

With few exceptions we are all 
bullies. We bully our children and 
those dependent upon us; in fact, 
anything which is in our power, but 
children and dumb animals are the 
greatest sufferers from our tyranny. 
Why can't we cultivate a more merci- 
ful spirit? Are we never to be en- 
lightened? 



Some people's smiles have a more 
unpleasant effect upon one than their 
frowns. 



The descendants of nobles wearing 
their laurels, should be noble in char- 
acter; otherwise, they are harlicans 
to whom fools make obeisance on ac- 
count of their liveries. 



37 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



Many say contemptuously in refer- 
ring to another: ''Oh, she is a but- 
terfly!" The frail beautiful butter- 
fly, the friend of the flowers! I see 
nothing to condemn in it, for I have 
no desire to make of it a practical 
housewife. They who deprecate it 
may be mighty creatures, but God 
made the lion and the butterfly, and 
it ill becomes one to scorn the other. 



38 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



When I open my eyes in the morn- 
ing Habit is sitting by my bedside 
with a commanding aspect and an 
upraised finger and I feel that I must 
stand in his treadmill and submit to 
his yoke. But some day I will defy 
him, leave my bedchamber in my 
nightrobe, walk with bare feet upon 
the dewy lawn and pass my day in a 
variety of pleasant ways, suffering no 
longer from the tyranny of custom, 
and doubtless end by being restrained 
in a madhouse. 



39 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



If I have been the means of hope 
entering into a cheerless life, if I have 
lightened the burden placed upon 
young shoulders, succored the aged 
and shown the way to the unbeliev- 
ing, I shall feel that my life has not 
been altogether a failure, however 
meagre and somber it may appear to 
others. 



40 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

Life throws many a spell upon us. 
How often the moonlight and the 
shadows, cast by the whispering 
leaves outside my window, have 
danced upon my floor, playing upon 
the pipes of fancy and whispering to 
the soul strange delicious conceits 
that my tongue could not utter. And 
so for many hours I have reclined 
upon my bed, with wide, open eyes, 
dreaming of a fair strange country 
not down on the maps of anywhere. 
You too, my friend, may have sighted 
this country when love and hope have 
been aglow within you, or you have 
lain upon a bed of leaves with naught 
but the heavens above you, on some 
wondrous, starlit, summer night, and 
yielded to the magic of the soft 
gloom as it enfolded you. 



41 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

_ With conscience as a guide, we 
must all find the way to our own sal- 
vation. 



If we awoke in the morning in a 
strange place and saw beside us food 
and water, we would feel that some- 
one was caring for us. Therefore, 
when we enter this fair country and 
see the breadfruit, the wild berries, 
the fig and the date trees and the 
clear streams of running water, can 
we doubt that we are in a great Lord's 
care? 



42 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

We may be robed in satin and fine 
laces, or in the simplest gown, many 
may greet us with an appearance of 
afifection, which we are wont to ac- 
cept graciously, but ho\v seldom are 
the best of us truly loved! 



The wish to be beautiful is but the 
wish to please turned inside out. 
Many a woman paints her face, and 
for doing so is spoken of contemptu- 
ously, when she but turns to art in 
the hope of rendering herself beau- 
tiful that she may win the love and 
admiration of others. The motive 
which causes her to try to enhance 
her charms is not unworthy of the 
best of us and should be regarded but 
as a mistaken policy in the pursuit of 
beauty. 

43 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

However small your income, try to 
live within it, even if you are obliged 
to eat dried apples and drink water 
in so doing. 



We are wise for many, while often 
we lack wisdom for ourselves. 



Whatever else you be, do not be a 
beggar at the Court of Love. For 
Love is a despot, who seldom heeds 
the plea of a trembling supplicant. 



We may win many a battle with a 
smile, when a volley of remarks 
would make no impression upon the 
armor of our combatant. 



44 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

The duties of parents are manifold. 
We should have infinite compassion 
for those who have inherited our im- 
perfections and help them to bear the 
spiritual burdens we have thrust upon 
them, for many a poor child is crip- 
pled ere it is born. 

Some sunless lives are like the 
drooping fuchsia, which grows in the 
shadow. The poor, beautiful fuch- 
sia, fated to always hang its head 
so sadly, like many a desolate human. 

There are many scavengers in dis- 
guise. They call at numerous 
houses, only to carry away the nox- 
ious things they find there, and every- 
one they meet is given a whiff of the 
uncovered matter. 



45 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



What is a woman's hat intended 
for? To protect her head from the 
weather or a museum for defunct 
birds? You, with the outspread 
wings of a gull perched on high, and 
an owl's eye fastened above your 
brow, causing the beholder to encoun- 
ter three eyes where he expected to 
see but two, — you would make an 
emotionless woman from the remotest 
district of China smile. You are a 
living sermon on the use and abuse 
of money. But such adornment may 
be but an outburst and protest against 
civilization. If so, the cause is good ; 
therefore Fair One continue to deck 
yourself with the plumage of your 
wild kindred. 



46 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



Untried friends are the best 
friends. 



It is two o'clock in the day. Many 
men of aflfairs have partaken of a 
goodly meal, and that is well. But 
I wonder if they have loosened the 
check- rein a trifle to-day on those who 
are dependent upon them and who 
have, by their labor, enabled them to 
sit at an ample board. 



47 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

There are people who cannot be 
happy unless the band plays. They 
must be forever in the midst of strife 
and the sound of gaiety, never weary- 
ing of the devil's tattoo. Even the 
aged you will find in the noisy cafes 
where an orchestra adds to the din. 
They dare not take refuge in them- 
selves. They might not recover from 
the shock. 



It is a mighty man to whom one 
dare reveal the truth. Generally one 
is obliged to patch it up with sophis- 
tries before offering it to the hum- 
blest, for most of us lack the courage 
to confront the naked truth. 



48 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

Many a mother will indulge her 
offspring in all kinds of folly, and 
consider herself generous and unself- 
ish in so doing, when frequently it 
is merely the brute instinct, to pro- 
vide for her own, that controls her. 
Her hand and eye are sacred to her 
for they are her own flesh, but will 
she concern herself to assist the help- 
less and unprotected about her? 
There is the test of her unselfishness! 
It is a joy to indulge our loved ones 
and generally requires but a small 
effort on our part. Therefore, it is 
more of a selfish pleasure than other- 
wise. 



49 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



It is natural that we should doubt 
God's mercy at times. We who tie 
a faithful dog in a lonely place day 
after day, or drive a brave horse with 
a cruel bit and shoot innocent harm- 
less things for mere sport. 



Ere the dusk falls look inward. 



50 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

Where are the pewter mugs of our 
ancestors? Give me one, and a delft 
plate with my entire meal upon it. 
And, if you please, serve it upon a 
white pine board where I can look 
without and see a bit of green and a 
patch of sky. My good friend, you 
must join me, foregoing your cut 
glass, dainty china and fine linen for 
to-day, and be simple and rude if 
need be, feeling assured that I will 
not betray you and shock Emily, 
Ruth and Alice, the tyrant, she who 
cannot enjoy a meal without a but- 
ler at her back observing each mor- 
sel of food which enters her capacious 
mouth. She, I feel confident, would 
be shocked beyond measure that a 
lady of her acquaintance could par- 
take of food under such circum- 
stances. But we shall call the dog 

SI 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

and he will sit upon his hind legs, 
rivaling Alice's butler in his respect- 
ful attitude, for he is a well behaved 
dog whose barks are not many. I 
may write of my wish, my friend, but 
I really lack the courage to ask one 
as refined as yourself to assume the 
mode of your forefathers. 



52 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

I have dozed in a hammock, 
which was hung under a sheltering 
tree, on a warm day in summer, with 
the hills in the distance and the 
sound of a running brook near by 
acting as a lullaby, and have awoke 
and slumbered, while watching the 
sunlight play upon the fig leaves and 
listening to the sparrows calling one 
another, doubtless informing their 
companions that a gadding hen had 
escaped from her confines and in- 
vaded the meadow. ^What a phe- 
nomenon !" they say. And so between 
sleeping and waking I have felt my- 
self the superior of a king. For a 
king might just at this moment be 
called to a council chamber to pre- 
side over a number of wiseacres, who 
know but little, or they would take 
a turn at living simply and so find 

53 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

the happiness which we are all seek- 
ing and which may be waiting 
near by for us, if we will only look 
in the right direction. 



Half the time of the average 
woman of the present day, is occu- 
pied by dress. I should think that 
many of the weary slaves of fashion 
would envy the lady-bug, who gives 
no thought to her appearance, and 
yet has a beautiful, bright red coat 
which displays her form to perfec- 
tion, and which she is not obliged to 
doff at night nor assume in the morn- 
ing. 



54 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



There are occasions when exces- 
sive refinement irritates me. Its ef- 
fect upon me is similar to that pro- 
duced by someone near by with a 
weak voice constantly endeavoring 
to reach high C. At such times I 
long to fly to the woods, sling a black 
pot over a bed of coals, hear wild 
things calling to one another, smell 
the damp earth and, throwing my- 
self full length beside a sparkling 
stream, form a cup of my hands and 
thrusting them into the clear water, 
drink deeply at the heart of nature. 



55 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

There are many afflictions in life, 
and one of the greatest is the burn- 
ing wish to be something other than 
you are. Seeing a young negress 
upon the street, my heart went out 
to her in infinite compassion, for her 
dark handsome face was covered 
with the white powder of her fairer 
sisters. 



While taking a walk I paused be- 
side some toil-worn laborers at work 
in a ditch, and breathed an inaudible 
prayer for their well being, feeling, 
as I stood there, like a miser hugging 
my leisure. 



56 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

There is the busy bee and the snail 
in nature, the industrious human and 
the gentle dreamer. We cannot all 
be alike. Therefore, restless one, 
cease disparaging the indolent. 
They will not jig to any tune, but 
play the part allotted to them tran- 
quilly, for such is the decree of 
Providence. 



When some people take one to 
task they play upon a harp of a thou- 
sand strings. 



57 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



How much more one can enjoy a 
rainy day if they can sit by a win- 
dow and watch others getting 
drenched. Such discomfort gener- 
ally adds to the onlooker's sense of 
warmth, for one can better appre- 
ciate their own blessings when they 
see others without them. 



58 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

I frequently hear physicians al- 
luded to as though they were a special 
providence, whose fiat is irrevocable. 
Medical men, some years ago, bled 
us for the simplest ailment; now 
their knives go into the vitals of the 
patient. Doubtless, twenty years 
from now their methods will change. 
Therefore, let us take courage, and 
if we can manage to live next door 
to them for that length of time, they 
may feed us on mother's milk, de- 
claring that it will cure us of the 
worst form of disease. 



A charming woman is the woman 
who feels that she is admired. 



59 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

I am of a deplorable romantic tem- 
perament, over fond of music, poetry 
and song, and enjoy reading of the 
times when satin doublet and silken 
hose were worn by dauntless men, and 
fair maidens mounted palfries. But 
life, alas, has simply bombarded me 
with the common-place. I am like 
a wooden clothes-pin, constantly in 
touch with the practical. If lost in 
a most delightful day dream, I am 
likely to be aroused by some worthy 
person wishing to know what will 
relieve ingrowing toe nails, or, can 
I recommend something which will 
remove grease spots? Such infor- 
mation is sought of me, because Na- 
ture, who is somlb^hat of a jester, has 
seen fit to cast memn a commonplace 
mold. NeverthelM^ intend to 
plant roses among raSBkbbages. 




VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



Some ministers, with Hell to con- 
jure with, make many converts. 



It is wise to examine the core of 
your friut before partaking of it, if 
you would avoid swallowing a bitter 
mouthful. 



6i 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

The professional money-getter is 
like the bee, intent on extracting. 
The bee is an unconscious thief and 
the ruthless money-getter an exalted 
pickpocket — or, he might be re- 
garded as a saviour of mankind, for 
the possession of too much gold 
causes the downfall of many worthy 
people. One may take from the 
money-getter his gains and give them 
to a more deserving brother, but the 
magician soon renews his wealth, for 
he has as many devices for abstract- 
ing money as a centipede has legs. 
Although he is generally tainted with 
madness, he serves a wise purpose, 
Doubtless his mission on earth is for 
the benefit of the masses, preventing, 
as it does, an injurious over-indul- 
gence among them. 



62 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

It is possible that the evil we send 
forth may return as vultures to tear 
at our hearts. If we judge harshly, 
we may some day ask for mercy for 
ourselves in vain. Should we wreck 
another's happiness, our own can be 
destroyed, and if we cripple a slave 
by climbing upon his back to see a 
passing pageant, we may have a 
grievous fall from his shoulders. 
This is not all theory, for many a 
one at the end of his life is broken 
and sore from running the gauntlet 
of his sins. 



When I behold a haughty individ- 
ual I am immensely amused, for such 
a Tom Thumb reminds me of a toad 
with indigestion. 



63 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



The world must ever reverence the 
poet, the painter, the sculptor and 
the composer of divine melodies, for 
their gifts are godlike, holding 
beauty forever before us. We must 
not look beyond their genius if wq 
would not be disappointed, since 
many of them are a bit lawless. But, 
can we expect such marvelous crea- 
tures to live by our standards? They 
belong to another world and our laws 
will not bind them. Nay! — they 
are our beloved masters and under 
their spell the veriest slave of Time 
becomes a reckless truant. 



64 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



Many proud and heartless hu- 
mans can only be awakened from 
their indifference by a grievous loss. 
They are brought low by a great 
grief that they may arise and become 
worthier, and more in sympathy 
with struggling humanity, since they 
have suffered with them. 



65 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



I often envy the small, feathered 
creatures who have no knowledge of 
death, and who seems to be so happy 
with their tribe. How merrily they 
chirrup in the trees at daybreak, put- 
ting me to shame with my weary 
spirit and my lagging body. But 
what can a poor mortal know, small 
ones, of your simple joy in life and 
fellowship with your kind? Still I 
am thankful that your Glee Club 
meets in my tree tops, and although 
I am but a crude and clumsy mortal, 
I shall never molest one of your num- 
ber. Therefore, I trust you will 
continue to abide near me, as my her- 
alds of the day. 



66 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

In the old time it was well when 
a great lord was content to seek re- 
pose upon a rude bed of lion skins, 
in a vast, lofty chamber, where a fire 
of great logs threw a ruddy glow 
over the sinewy, recumbent forms of 
his faithful retainers, who were scat- 
tered about him and who, if need be, 
were eager to forfeit their lives in 
the service of their lord. There- 
fore, he slumbered peacefully, among 
tried men and true, dearer to him 
than his chests of gold, although they 
wore no medals, save upon their 
leather jackets the stains of blood 
which they had shed in defense of 
their master. Thus they dwelt to- 
gether *'one heart, one hearth and 
one household." I doubt if a man 
of the present day, with mere wealth 
at his command, can surround him- 

67 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

self with as many brave and loyal 
subjects. 



Some find an oasis in this life, 
while others who are worn with toil, 
and weak from hunger, must jour- 
ney far into a remote country, ere 
they can rest amidst plenty. But 
their harvest may be richer for their 
waiting. 



It is better to be a shepherd upon a 
mountain side than a mole in a great 
city. 



68 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

Do not light the lamp, my friend; 
we will sit in the firelight, while I 
speak of the Shadow people. Doubt- 
less, you have met a certain tribe of 
them, if you have partaken too freely 
of the juice of the grape, — satire, 
dwarf and impish specter. But I 
wish to speak of quite another tribe: 
the good Samaritans belonging to the 
Possible family. If you have known 
intense grief or illness, very likely 
you have seen these mystic people, 
for Nature sends them to divert an 
overtaxed spirit. How well I re- 
member the childish interest I took 
in them when last* they beguiled me. 
The dear care-free people! Pain 
had left me all but lifeless. My 
tired body refused to obey my weak- 
ened will, and my weary eyelids 
drooped over my burning eyes, when 
Lo! the Shadow people were before 
69 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

me, transporting me to their realm. 
Oh, the beauty of its glades! The 
earth might envy their tender, match- 
less green. And the people with 
noiseless steps seemed to move in 
moonbeams; a gracious tranquil peo- 
ple, with a faint radiance upon their 
pale straight brows. Even the jester 
among them wore a grave air as he 
stepped aside to allow a troop of 
white clad youths to pass, whose 
golden locks tossed in the breeze, as 
they held aloft pale waving torches, 
in whose light one I knew to be Folly 
danced down a flower strewn path, 
her rosy limbs clad in white gossa- 
mer like draperies. With streaming 
hair and radiant face, turned side- 
ways, she seemed to draw all men 
to her by the magic of the web she 
spun. A stalwart troup of bearded 

70 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

foresters, with the gleaming, tawny 
eyes of lions, and great axes upon 
their shoulders, turned aside to fol- 
low in her wake, joined by a beau- 
tiful youth, whose silver vestments 
gleamed in the torchlight. After 
him ran wood sprites, waving wands 
of willow which were reflected in 
a pool where wondrous lilies grew. 
Upon the hillside ... A gentle step 
at my door, and my dream people 
have disappeared. Fetch a light 
dear and read to me the news of the 
day. 



71 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

There are times when unavoidable 
dependence upon another is like be- 
ing weighted with a ball and chain, 
under which the spirit droops and 
life becomes tainted with a profound 
melancholy. But some of the no- 
blest must serve their time as galley- 
slaves to fate, and prove their cour- 
age by mute lips and bodies held 
erect, although naught but their ach- 
ing eyes are free to seek a fair hori- 
zon. 



It is of small matter how finely 
wrought the dish is if when famished 
we find it empty. 



72 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



We have a number of exclusive 
sets; some not voluntarily so, as, for 
instance: the set in the insane asy- 
lum, and the State's Prison, but the 
richly garmented exclusive set are as 
free as those at the home of the blind. 



If one is successful according to 
the world's standard of success, there 
are many vv^ho would shoot one down 
as carrion. 



73 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

I have heard of a worthy man liv- 
ing under a sheltering tree, with a 
bit of cloth attached to it to serve as 
a wind-break. But if I wish to be 
eminently respectable, I must have 
a room to sleep in, one where I make 
my toilet, one for meditation, one for 
reading, one for the reception of 
guests, one sacred to music, one de- 
voted to smoking, another where my 
food is prepared, still another to 
breakfast in and one to dine in. If 
the rooms are to serve their purposes, 
I must rush from room to room as I 
am seized by different desires. 
Alas! I must desert my sunny ve- 
randa and hie me to my study when 
I am about to think, but where, O 
where is my swear room! 



74 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

I entered a spacious store where 
many weary looking women were in 
attendance. But the poor foolish 
owner of the shop had my compas- 
sion, for he had ensconced himself in 
a small, steel cage, which was digni- 
fied by the name of ''Office" and had 
''No Admittance" above its door. 
There the pale stern looking man 
spent his days, with no ventilation 
and a glaring electric light above the 
desk where he sat, although it was 
a beautiful bright day without. Had 
his government sentenced him to a 
like fate for a grave crime, fair 
minded citizens would very likely 
have risen in his defense, but he had 
condemned himself to such an ex- 
istence through lack of comprehen- 
sion. I notice many people groan- 
ing under useless burdens, or volun- 
tarily assuming yokes which are 
75 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

needless. The deaf and blind are 
protected but Heaven help the unen- 
lightened! 



If we would ^'do unto others as we 
would have them do unto us," our 
taxes would be lighter, for we would 
not be obliged to maintain so many 
law courts and prisons, nor journey 
far to assemble at a peace confer- 
ence. 



Scientists tell us that love is a 
myth, but the youths and the maidens 
do not believe them, although their 
elders may admit with a sigh the 
truth of the assertion. 



76 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



I have missed a beautiful after- 
noon by remaining indoors with my 
journal. In this respect I am not 
unlike the ground worm, which stays 
in the earth when it might come forth 
and bask in the sunshine. 



77 



/ 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

There is something at times un- 
canny in the rebound of evil. I 
speak from experience, as well as ob- 
servation, having paid in full for all 
my misdeeds. I once heard a fond 
mother speak unjustly of a struggling 
youth to his employer. It was most 
unkind as the boy was the main sup- 
port of an aged parent. Sometime 
afterward her own son was dis- 
charged from a lucrative position 
and was unable to secure another; 
consequently his mother was obliged 
to curtail her expenses, and spent 
most of her time upbraiding fate 
which had served her so unjustly, 
through no fault of her own she de- 
clared, for she had failed to read the 
writing on the wall. 



78 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



Many consider themselves wise 
and so does a child who has mastered 
the alphabet. The wisest among us 
cannot create the simplest flower, 
nor make a needle such as a bee car- 
ries for defense, nor weave a web 
like the spider, and yet we prate of 
wisdom. 



Do not demean yourself by hold- 
ing the whip while another cowers. 



79 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



I am rejoiced to see the children 
returning from school. The dear 
children, who were meant to gamble 
like kittens, lambs and young colts 
and are obliged to sit at desks un- 
complainingly the best hours of the 
day acquiring wisdom, holding their 
bodies erect in accordance with the 
almost military discipline exacted of 
them, not even a smile being per- 
mitted among those who see in the 
simplest episode something to pro- 
voke their mirth. If our lives are 
constrained, we cannot complain 
when we have such cheerful, brave 
little soldiers in our midst. 



80 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 



It ill becomes one, born in the pur- 
ple, to assume a superior air when in 
the presence of one whom Chance 
has not favored in like respect. Ar- 
rogance is not compatible with a 
Christian spirit; it is a cheap form 
of pride belonging to the peacock, 
who spreads his tail feathers in order 
to conceal his ugly feet. 



8i 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

If one has not all one desires, such 
a condition will not retard one 
from reaching perfection. There 
are beautiful grasses and mosses 
growing in crevices as fair as those 
to be found in the garden of a pal- 
ace. A swan does not need a neck- 
lace of pearls to render it beautiful, 
and a collar of gold will not conceal 
the identity of a fox. 



Revenge and bitterness breed a 
poison which destroys happiness. 



You may smile at many of my 
statements, my Ideal Friend, but if 
you can stride, please allow me to 
toddle after you. 



82 



VIRGINIA'S JOURNAL 

We can talk of civilization when 
we have open air factories and work- 
shops. 

Pity the poor descendant of slaves 
and help him to rise. Had our an- 
cestors been shackled for ages, we 
might not be such a dominant race. 
The Great Master's palette is laden 
with many hues. Shall we condemn 
his work because He has given us the 
fairest coloring? 

The old form of salutation "Peace 
Be With You," contained an abun- 
dance of good will, for we can only 
obtain peace by being in harmony 
with the good, the true and the beau- 
tiful. Therefore, "Peace Be With 
You." 



83 



SEP 8 1913 



